Inductance-regulator for alternating-current circuits.



M. BURNS.

INDUCTANCE REGULATOR FOR ALTERNATING CURRENT CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23.1914.

1,174,053. Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z- M. BURNS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23. l9l4.

INDUCTANCE REGULATOR FOR ALTERNATING CURRENT CIRCUITS.

Wit ems I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL BURNS, OF EVANSVIILE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB OF 'I'HREE-TENTHS TO SMITH WILTSHIBE, THBEE-TENTHS TO C. T. CURRY, AND ONE-TENTH 'I'O FRANK ELMEN- DORE, ALL OF EVANSVILIIE, INDIANA.

INDUC'IANGE-BEGULA'IOR FOB ALTEBNATING-CUBRENT CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1916.

Application filed December 23, 1914. Serial No. 878,732.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,-MICHAEL BURNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inductance-Regulators for Alternating-Current Circuits; and I do hereby declare the foled for controlling the current flowing in alternating current circuits and is more especially designed for regulating. the current used in connection with electric lights such as are employed in' connection with motion picture apparatus, photographic printing apparatus, etc., etc., where the carbons are underthe manual control of the attendant. In the handling of lights of this character it is found that the wattage consumed may be very considerably reduced by the employment of an inductance regulator in the circuit, without material reduction in the illumination, and, at the same time, by the provision of an inductance regulator which may be readily and accurately adjusted to suit the requirements for illumination at the particular moment, the control of the light is rendered much more eflicient.

The present invention is designedto accomplish all of the objects hereinabove stated and to provide an exceedingly simple apparatus which may be put into the hands of the ordinary operator without danger ofinjury to the apparatus or to the operator himself through the careless handhng or manipulation of the regulator or the parts associated therewith.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a regulator embodying the present invention, the near side of the housing having been removed. Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the left hand end of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with the housing partly in section. ig. 3 is a sectional elevation in a vertical plane longitudinally of the core. Fig. 4 is a top plan view partly broken away and .partly in section of the structure shown in F1g. 1 F1g. .5 is a detail section of the operating or adjusting lever showing the preferred means for electrically insulating the sections of the ad'usting mechanism.

Llke letters of re erence in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, two coils A are prov ded having their terminals connected with binding posts a, a, whereby the coils may be included in the alternating current circuit,

the arrangement of the coils being preferably in series with each other and in series with the light or lights to be regulated, although it will be understood that the coils may be otherwise connected with and included in the circuit in accordance with known practice, and that one or any desired number of coils may be employed.

To create the necessary inductance, a

core is provided to form a magnetic circuit for the coil or coils, and in accordance with the present invention, this core is of laminated construction and is formed in sections hinged together at one end and adjustable toward and from each other at the opposite end whereby an airv gap of regulatable width is provided for varying the inductance in the well known way. Conveniently the core is formed in two sections, one a fixed section B having fixed pole pieces B extending through'th'e coils A and a movable section C which for convenience may be termed an armature.

The section O or armature is connected to one of the pole pieces B by a hinge connection and in order to point as far as possible all magnetic resistance, the laminations of the pole piece and armature are sub-divided. The sections thus formed are overlapped in contact with each other as shown clearly in the drawings Where the overlapping sections are indicated at B and C respectively, and the overlapping laminations are connected by a pintle or bolt D. The opposite pole piece and end of the'armature are thus made capable of movement toward and from reduce at this T pieces by screws or fastenings k. The two plates H are insulated from each other at,

ture C is made movable with relation to the pole piece and for effecting its movements, an operating lever is provided which is operatively connected with the pole piece and armature respectively and provided with an extended handleE with which the attendant may accurately control the relativemovement of the parts so as to vary the width of the air gap with the greatest accuracy. As shown in the drawings, the lever, of which the handle E constitutes an extension, is in the form of a yoke, the two arms F and F of which are pivotally connected with the armature at their lower ends, and while mechanically connected at their upper ends to form a rigid structure, they are electrically insulated from each other by interposed insulation f, and as shown in Fig. 5 this insulation 7', preferably extends around a rib f, on one section of the yoke and is seated in a corresponding recess inthe other section so as to make the parts rigid against relative movement. The two sections are drawn together by a screw or fastening device 7, beneath and around which suitable electrical insulating material f is located so as to effectually prevent the formation of any electric current around any part of the core, due to the inductive action which is set up in the apparatus when in use. Links G are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the yoke and at their lower ends to the pole piece B, the arrangement bein such that the lever and links form in e ect a toggle lever arrangement which when the handle E is swung from one position to the other as indicated in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1, will cause the armature to be elevated or depressed with relation to the pole piece, and at the same time the magnetic pull on the armature will be resisted so that the parts may be held in adjusted position or moved against the magnetic pull with comparatively little eflort on the part of the at tendant.

To retain the parts in their adjusted position against all possible danger of accidental movement due to the magnetic pull on the armature, provision is made whereby the lever may be made tocoiiperat'e with a fixed toothed member, and this member is conveniently part of a casing-adapted to inclose the armature and pole pieces so as to make the whole apparatus safe for handling or bein located in proximity to other apparatus. he casing itself is supported on a frame preferably embodying mechanically. connected, but electrically insulated plates H. mounted above the coils A and held in proper fixed relation to the pole their ends by insulation 71 and are rigidly connected together. by bridges I forming shown at M in Fig. 4 for cooperation with a yielding projection m on the control lever, whereby the lever will be held in ad usted position, but at the same time may be readily moved by the attendant from one position to another as occasion requires.

In order to eifectually insulate and separate the coils from the cores, the coils are preferably wound on a form around sectional liners N, there being suitable insu; lating material such as asbestos and asphaltum incorporated between the liners and. windings, as well as between the windings themselves, and on the inner side of the linings, it being the design in the manufacture of the controller to position the parts accurately and fill all interspaces with asphaltum which is subsequently baked, so as to not only increase the rigidity and solidity of the structure, but to effectually prevent any short-circuiting between the several members.

By making the liners of the coils as well as the framing and operating lever mechanism sectional with insulatingmaterial located between the sections, no continuous path for'the flow of induced electrical currents around the core and coils is formed and consequently the transformer action such as would otherwise be set up is eifectually prevented, and consequently the parts will remain comparatively cool, inasmuch'as the only heat generated will be that due to the resistance of the coils and magnetic currents set up in the coils. The latter are to a large I extent eliminated by the provision of a laminated core wherein Foucault currents will not be created to any harmful extent.

In apparatus of this character a disagreeable humming is sometimes set up,'and to eliminate this as far as possible, the corners of the armature and pole piece to which it is hinged are preferably cutaway or 'rounded as indicated at O in the drawings.

In the use of the apparatus it is a simple matter for the attendant to gra the control handle E and to move the same?) 7 the width of the air gap so as to vary the magnetic mductan'ce in accordance with the requirements of the light for the .particular r ad'ustin I time desired. The convenience of the ad- Y justment is of importance in apparatus of this kind, and it is essential that a close and ready control of the light shall be instantly available to meet conditions of operation. 1

In actual practice, it is found that with the use of this inductance controller the wattage consumption of current is materially reduced without reducing the illumination or efficiency of the light, so that it effects amaterial saving to the user,whieh is far greater than is possible by the use of rectifiers now commonly employed.

What is claimed is: 1. An inductance regulator for alternating current circuits embodying a coil, a

laminated core forming a magnetic circuitthrough thecoil, said core being-formedin sections adjustable with relation to each other'to vary: the air gap between them, and an adjusting mechanism embodying a yoke, the arms of which are pivotally connected at their lower ends with the armature and connected together at their upper ends, but electrically insulated from each other and links pivotally connected at their upper ends to. the yoke. and at their lower ends to the pole piece.

ing current circuits, embodying a coil, a sectional laminated core for the coil with the sections hinged together at one end, a lever operatively connected with the other ends of the sections for adjusting. said-ends toward and from-each other, andan operating handle on said lever whereby the wattage of-the current traversing the coil may be varied.

4. An inductance regulator for alternateing current circuits-embodying a coil, a sec tional laminated core for the coil, means'for adjusting thesections-with relation to each other to vary theair' gap, a casing formed of sections Inemhanically connectedand electrically insulated from each other, an operating lever for theadjusting means projecting through the casing, and means for retaining the lever in adjusted position.

5. An inductance regulator for alternating current circuits embodying a fixed core having upwardly projecting pole pieces, an armature hinged on one pole piece and projecting into proximity to the other pole piece, there being overlapping portions of the core and pole piece towhich it is hinged in extended lateral contact with each other, and an operating lever for adjusting the position of the armature having arms embracing' the armature, said arms being mechanically connected but electrically insulated from each other.

MICHAEL BURNS.

Witnesses:

ALEX S. STEUART, THOMAS DURANT. 

